Starting Over: the MacAngLyn Journey

Can I even tell this story… I feel like it’s too good to pass up… because it has a really good lesson…

We sat down at the restaurant. I couldn’t wait for the burgers to come out. Yummm…. They were finally here!

I looked over at my husband’s burger. It had a large flag stabbed through the middle with “Impossible” written on top. The patty looked delicious, almost like meat… juicy…

“Hmmm… honey, are you sure that is the vegetarian burger?”

“Oh, yes. See, it has a flag in it.”

“Ok. Well, it looks really juicy, like a real burger. I mean, it looks really good. I’d eat it.”

The waiter came over. My husband asked, “Sir, is this the “Impossible” patty? I’m Vegetarian.”

“Oh, yes. It is. It has the flag that says it is.”

We began eating. I scarfed mine and was half way through when he shoved his fork at my face… “taste it… is it meat? Is yours the veggie patty?”

“I don’t know.” Mine was smothered in sauce and other goodness, so I really didn’t even think about it; I just thought it was good. Once he shoved his fork in my face, I tried to inspect my meat a bit. It did look a little veggie-like. I didn’t feel as weighed down as I do when I eat meat. Maybe it was the veggie-patty? I just kept eating…

A minute later, he ran to the bathroom. Oh, no…. His was real meat!!

My husband and I really are the perfect pair. I’ve always been that hard-headed, rebel-type who always knew better than everyone else. That type of thinking has cost me high prices in life. The experiences paid for in pain have shown me that most of the time, I don’t have the answer. In fact, the older I get, the more information and experiences that I gain, the more I am led to the conclusion that we humans know nothing.

It seems that the smarter we are, the less that we know…. Wisdom…

God tells us in the Bible to seek wise counsel in so many places. It is all over Proverbs and the new testament.

“A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” Proverbs 29:11… If only I could shut up….

But really…“Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:20-21

The key words here are “listen” and “accept”. Two action words that I have to constantly work on. Shut up, even in my brain, and really listen to what the other person is saying. Ask probing questions to reap and harvest information. God sends messages in many ways, in quiet time, through other people, through music, through something that happens…. so listen to these small messages. What is He telling you? What does He want you to do today?

Below are a couple of resources:

1. Pastor Rick Warren writes about making time alone, “quiet time” with God to listen: article

2. This video by Guideposts has beautiful music and great inspiration to listen: video

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